Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet Reloaded
by TheMadWizard
Summary: The SAO Fatal Bullet game retold from the protagonist, Shiro/Shido Kokei. One day he's banned from GGO from false accusations, and now he has to start over from the beginning to reclaim his position as a top player of GGO. While he hunts those responsible, Kokei has to pretend to be a noob to not draw the attention of those who banned him.
1. Prologue

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet Reloaded

Prologue

He was running from his enemy. There in the Remnant Wastelands, in the ruins of the Extinct Civilization, he knew he was done for. It was supposed to be an easy job. His target was one player. They outnumbered fifteen-to-one and yet, he was the last man standing.

Looking behind him, he saw what was supposed to be his prey. That wicked smile on his face. He enjoyed the slaughter. Turning the corner, he readied his rifle out of the alley; he took cover in. _I can't die here! I can't lose my loot! I can't lose my rep!_ he thought as the world fell to a standstill.

Silence. The world itself grew quiet. Wind stirred and dust blew in the breeze, but there was nothing. A moment ago, he was being chased by a demonic player named: Yokoni. Now, there's nothing. He panicked as he heard the dust pick up again. They entire magazine was unloaded into the air. "You want some more!" he shouted, trying to sound brave, but he wasn't convinced that he was.

There was still the silence. Nothing. Just in case, he threw his last grenade out of the alley. If there was someone lurking beyond the corner, they would surely die. Or at least get hurt. When it exploded, he turned and saw Yokoni; the demon in white. Yokoni had his pistol aimed at him.

Scared stiff, all he could do was shout at Yokoni. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE!"

A metallic click was heard. The safety was off. "Why won't you accept your death?" Yokoni asked in a mocking tone.

"We worked hard to gather the resources to kill you! How is it possible that you could beat fifteen of us?"

Yokoni sighed, "Ooh boy. You guys have a lot to learn about video games. VR or not, certain laws are creeds." Yokoni could tell that he wasn't getting it. "Certain rules in video games exist. No matter what Virtual Reality tries to bend or break, to suspend disbelief." The guy he pursued only looked confused by his words. "At the end of the day, I know what can be bent..." he begins to squeeze the trigger. "And I know what can be broken. Later."

He fired and killed his prey.

Twirling his gun, Yokoni smiled as he saw the healthbar reach the red. "Might makes right. You weren't good enough." The man he shot then shatters into a dozen red shards.

Holstering his gun, Yokoni then went to the nearest teleporter to transfer himself to SBC Glocken, the only safe-zone in Gun Gale Online.

Entering his personal-zone, Yokoni sat on the couch and had a good laugh. Looking up his name in the registry, Yokoni brushed his long black hair aside. There was a bounty next to his ID. Apparently, if anyone could kill him they'd collect over eight-hundred-point-seven-million credits. A hefty price, especially for him.

Seeing the names above him made Yokoni frown. "Yamakaze, Itsuki, XeXeeD, Usujio Tarako, and Ardin..." he said these names in a low tone. Their bounties were higher than his. Their ranks were also better. In the last Battle of Bullets compition, they ranked as the best players in all of GGO.

Not wanting to be discouraged, Yokoni turned on the television to catch up on the latest news for GGO. He saw that there was an event taking place next week. It's supposed to be a patch update for the upcoming expansion, that's supposed to happen in the next three months. A lot of new players are joining and even older-resigned players are returning. If you can complete the event, you have the chance to obtain an ArFA-Sys AI unit to accompany you throughout the entire game.

"A VR pet that can actually do something?" Yokoni murmured to himself. "That's worth the ammo needed to shoot down everyone."

He then saw that Itsuki was signing up with the lieutenant of his Squadron. "Oh... things just got better!" Yokoni shouted in excitement.

Twirling his pistol, Yokoni loaded a mag inside. Just as he was about to head out into SBC Glocken, the door flashed red. It was locked. To Yokoni's surprised, he immediately received a message from Zaskar, GGO's administration team.

 _We regret to inform you, Yokoni, that you've violated our terms and conditions for playing Gun Gale Online, for invalid use of Macros and data-mining. Your email is black listed and you are no longer allowed to play Gun Gale Online._

 _-Sincerely Yours,_

 _Zaskar._

Visibly confused, Yokoni only had moments to process what he had just read, before being booted from the game's servers. He woke up on his bed, still in his nightly attire; a gray t-shirt and black sweat-pants. Grabbing his wire-framed glasses on the nightstand next to his bed, Yokoni removes the AmuSphere from his head.

His brown hair and disgruntled face releases a sigh. Yokoni's real self is of average height, with a slender build. He may look sick, but really he's just malnourished. He stepped over to his computer, ignoring the letters sent from his family. Despite everything, Yokoni kept a calm air about him.

He began to look up how he can file a counter-claim to get his account un-banned. However, all that he could find were similar cases of others being banned. Although, their reasons were vastly different. The only connection Yokoni could find were that these people were all banned for minor offense. It appeared as though Yokoni was never going to get his account back.

Sighing in defeat, Yokoni went to social media. It seemed like a long time since he's last been on here. Actually, it's only been a day. But, going online with his computer instead of the AmuSphere is something he's fallen out of practice of.

To his surprise, he's gotten a message from an old childhood friend. Kurenai Sugiyama, they were once friends, but she moved away and they began to drift apart. They've barely kept up on social media since then.

 _Hey Kokei, can you make an account for Zaskar and join me in GGO? I really need a partner for the event that's happening next week!_

Yokoni/Shido Kokei smiled. "This day just keeps getting weirder," he murmured. Pulling up the event news for GGO, Kokei's smiled turned into a cheeky grin. He replied to Sugiyama while making his new account.

 _Sure, I'll be on first thing tomorrow. What's your character name?_

She instantly replied, _Kureha. What's yours?_

Finally done setting up his second email and account information, all that was left was for him to pick a name. Kokei thought of using his usual online aliases, but that may draw the attention of the person or persons who got him banned. Instead, he went with a new name. A hybrid of his name and his mother's maiden name.

 _Shiro, that's my character's name,_ Kokei responded.


	2. Wolf in Sheep's Clothes

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet Reloaded

Chapter 1: Wolf In Sheep's Clothes

The next day, Shiro, formally known as Yokoni; spent the entire morning in GGO. He was grinding for levels and gear. His avatar was completely different than before. Now, he has wild white hair, a svelte figure, and gray eyes. It took a little adapting to get used to the shorter height of his new character, but that was nothing that time couldn't solve. When he was ready, he transported himself to SBC Glocken.

There, at the entrance of the city, he looked around and saw that people completely ignored him. It's strange to think that yesterday, he was a infamous player that people feared and despised. This level of anonymity was something that rubbed Shiro the wrong way. _I worked hard to get my status... When I find the guy who banned me, I'll put a bullet in him for every day I'm like this!_

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" a voice interrupted Shiro's thoughts. He looked to see a girl clad in pink, with her ponytail to the side of her and bright blue eyes; staring at him. "It took way longer to register for the tournament than I expected. I see you managed to log in okay. Been waiting long?"

Shiro was stunned for a moment and then he looked at the girl's profile. _Kureha... so this is who Kurenai is playing as._ He then waved, "Long time no see."

She smiled, "I'm surprised you recognize me, considering my avatar looks so different from it does in real life." Kureha spoke in a friendly and familiar manner as she introduced herself as Shiro's childhood friend. Giggling at the thought of their reunion, Kureha said, "Of course I knew who you were right off the bat! You're still the same Shiro I knew as a kid."

Folding his arms, Shiro rolled his wrist as he retorted, "Is that so? And how exactly did you know it was me? I could be an impostor. That guy you messaged could've been someone completely different."

Playing coy, Kureha pretended to think for a moment. "Hm? Let's see... Well, you had that unique aura of friendliness and unsociability about you."

Those words felt like a wash pan landed on Shiro's head. "That right..." he said in defeat. Yep... this is going to be my life for the next little while...

"Sorry for calling you out here so suddenly. I know this is your first VRMMO," Kureha apologized, ignorant of Shiro's true aims. "Anyway, I really appreciate it. Now, let's get going! The tournament's about to start."

Before they go, Shiro stopped her, "I need to update my gear. Been grinding all morning."

Kureha shrugged, "Do you even know what gear to get?"

 _Yes... I've been a professional in this game for a little while!_ "Nope. Mind helping me out?" I hate my life...

Together, the two go to the nearby shop and quickly try to get gear for a level twenty player. Kureha was confused as to what Shiro was getting. It seemed his stats were mainly DEX and LUCK proficient. She lectured him at how terrible that build was. Shiro, playing the noob, apologized and feigned ignorance. Despite the balance of GGO changing, a DEX and LUCK build is what Shiro is best at, so it'll be what he sticks with.

When they were done, Shiro came out with a red overcoat, a Steyr-M9-A1 for a side arm and a SIG SG 550 for a main arm. Hitting hard, fast, and accurately is Shiro's main point of combat. The SIG SG 550 is good for medium and long range firefights, while the M9-A1 is perfect for close quarters to medium range fights. Even at this early stage, Shiro wanted to be prepared for any and all fighting.

Loading his gun, Shiro twirled it as he cocked back the chamber. Kureha confusingly stared at him. "I like being fancy. It's a cool trick," he lied. It was out of habit. She merely shook her head and demanded that he hurried up.

As they were running toward the tournament hall, Kureha started to explain the history of VRMMOs and how they were contrived by Akihiko Kayaba. How the man invented the NervGear and with it came Sword Art Online. The terrible incident that happened with over ten-thousand players, killing over four-thousand gamers. Afterwards, Alfeim Online was created, which lead to another incident involving mental captivity. It was then that NervGear was considered too dangerous for the public and banned. That was when the AmuSphere and Gun Gale Online were created. All VRMMOs run the same Engine as SAO.

 _I've never really paid all that much attention to the news involving VRMMOs. But you'd think they'd be outright banned for all the chaos they've caused..._ Shiro thought.

Quickly, before jumping into the Mayor's Office in Glocken, Kureha explained that her goal is to obtain the rare item within the tournament. The great thing about the loot system in GGO is that it's first come, first serve. Even if they don't win this contest, they still get to keep what's theirs. However, should they be killed before the tournament ended; other players can steal what was rightfully theirs.

"I see. So you want to do a snatch'n grab, all rogue-like," Shiro said, and then he quickly covered his mouth. _I have got to start correcting my vocabulary!_

Nodding her head, Kureha smiled, "That's right! I see GGO has already rubbed off on you."

Shiro looked her with this disappointed and confused expression. _Were you always this dumb?_ he though.

At last, they enter the building. First thing they see is a handsome young man, clad in black and white, surrounded by female players. They praised his mere existence. Kureha gasped, "Whoa!" she said. "It's Itsuki! I wonder if he's in the tournament too..."

She looked to Shiro, who stared at Itsuki inventively. _Itsuki is said to have powerful allies. Could he have been the one to ban me? If so... what did he get from it? I doubt he feared me, but I was a nuisance for Alphard._

Kureha slapped Shiro on the back of the head. "Hey!" she shouted. "What's with that puzzled look?"

Sighing, Shiro pointed to Itsuki, "Quite the good-looking fella, ain't he?"

Flabbergasted, Kureha shook her head, "Yeesh, so that's who you think I've got my eye on!"? She took another look and blushed, "...W-well, sure, I guess he is kind of cool and he does have a lot of fans...

 _Itsuki, one of GGO's top players. He's the leader of Alphard, a squadron that's renowned for their strength. Itsuki is an aloof character, but his stats don't lie. I've never faced him, but I've took on his group. If he's the one training them, then it'll be a problem if we run into each other in the tournament._

In mid-thought, Itsuki approached the two of them. His swave black hair and garnet colored eyes became more apparant. Itsuki was tall and thin and have a mellow voice. "Hey," he greeted Kureha and Shiro. "You guys entering the tournament too?"

Starstruck, Kureha stammed a bit, "Y-yes!" she replied.

 _Unbelievable..._ Shiro thought as he shook his head. Itsuki didn't pay him any mind. _Good, I'm invisible to you as long as Kureha is nearby. He looked to his friend, I guess she's kinda cute. A pretty girl is a good thing to have, since I need to be shielded from the public's eye._

"You're Kureha, right? I've heard about you," Itsuki said, surprising the young girl.

"Y-you have? Really?" she excitingly asked.

Nodding his head, Itsuki smiled. "You're always wandering between squadrons, right? You've got quite the reputation. I hear you're reliable and have good battle analysis skills."

Bowing her head, Kureha thanked Itsuki, "Th-thank you very much!"

Turning his head to Shiro, Itsuki asked, "And who's this...?" He eyed Shiro up and down, "Looks like beginner's equipment. Let me guess. You're a newbie, right?"

 _No! I am not!_

Shiro was about to retort when Kureha interrupted, "This is my childhood friend-and a master when it comes to games... Although, today's Shiro's first time in GGO."

 _Yeah, you think that._

Itsuki chuckled, "You must like a challenge if you're entering a tournament on your first day." He smiled at Shiro, "To be honest, I like that." Holding out his hand, Itsuki waited for Shiro to shake it before introducing himself. "Nice to meet you. I'm Itsuki. Levels and skills aren't the only things that make you strong in a gun battle." Nodding his head, the two release one another. "I'm looking forward to an... interesting fight. See you later."

After Itsuki left, Kureha psyched herself up. "He's amazing, but I'm almost good enough to make it into the top rankings. I won't lose that easily!"

 _Sure you are. But I'll be sure to let you think that._

Then, the two of them entered the tournament. They were transported to an elevator that headed downward. Beside the red light, indicating that they've gone another story down, the room was pitch black. Kureha pumped herself up as usual. That's when she looked over to Shiro, who had a dead look in his eye.

He brought out his M9 and inspected his weapon. Shiro took every moment he could to ensure that his gear was in tip-top condiction. Murmuring in a soft-tone, Shiro counted every round he had. "Thirteen rounds... one in the chamber... twelve in the clip."

Shiro then began to hastily inspect his SIG SG 550, "Fifty rounds... one in the chamber... fourty-nine in the mag."

It was as if he was in his own world. "I have a spare two-hundred-fifty rounds for the SG and, another three-hundred for the M9..." He then brought his head up. Although Kureha was right in front of him, Shiro didn't even register her existence. "PvP is not advised, but it'll be a way to get more ammo."

"Uh... Shiro?" Kureha asked, breaking him out of his state-of-mind.

He scratched the back of his head, "Something I looked up on some forums before logging in today." Shiro could tell that Kureha wasn't convinced, "We need to be ready for anything, after all." The elevator finally stopped, "Time to go..."

The moment the doors opened, Shiro dashed for the next room, M9-pistol readied in hand. Kureha quickly caught up, behind him. He then sprinted for the stairs, halfway through climbing them, he switched to his SG-assault rifle. There was a platform gap that he had to jump. Shiro made it to the other side with ease. He stumbled a moment, still trying to adapt to the new demensions of this avatar. Kureha smiled, confident that Shiro was alright. She followed closely behind.

When the doors to the next room opened, they were greeted with NPCs. Quickly rolling to the side, the doorway was blasted by four robots with assault rifles. Kureha took cover behind the wall, leading into the room.

Wide open, Shiro charge at the closest NPC and rammed the barrel of his rifle into his enemy. He then squeezed the trigger, unloading an entire magazine into the robot. The other NPCs tried firing at him in response. Shiro turned his body and used the robot he was impaling as a shield.

Kureha took this moment to act. With her Uzi, she opened fire on the nearest droid. At first she was aiming for the body, but the recoil made he fire upward toward its head. The animatronic fell to its side and shattered into a bunch of shards.

Shiro's robotic-body-shield shattered into shards and he was forced to switch to his pistol. _Reloading takes too damn long!_ he thought. The enemies were aiming at him. In response, Shiro used one of the only two skills he's acquired; to evade the bullets flying at him.

Acrobatic Dodge, an ability that allows you to cartwheel sideways and fire your weapon at the same time. It can only be used by either pistols or SMGs.

With that, another NPC was killed. Kureha jumped out of nowhere and, slammed the extended stock of her Uzi onto the last droid. Once it was on the ground, Kureha stepped on its neck and unleashed the rest of her mag on its head. Once it disappeared into a bunch of shards, she smiled at Shiro.

"Didn't think you had any skills," Kureha mentioned as they were clearing the next room.

Taking cover behind a wall, Shiro shrugged, "I also have a utility. I didn't grind for no reason."

Kureha took a pot-shot at the NPC that had them pinned. "True, but DEX and LUCK are virtually worthless."

Muttering, Shiro took a shot at the robot with his pistol, killing it. "Yeah, you keep thinking that."

When they got to the second floor, Shiro opened the door and saw a squad of three players looting a chest. "Well, then!" was all Shiro could do as they took aim at him. The bullet lines didn't lie, they intended to kill.

 _Acrobatic Dodge is still on cooldown,_ Shiro thought. He then dashed to side to take cover as they fired. A few rounds hit him and he saw his health bar drop to the yellow. _Powerful SMGs... that's just great._

He then saw Kureha bring out a frag grenade. A utility that she had. It's not that powerful, but its short cooldown more than makes up for it. They other players in the room cursed as they took cover. Once the grenade went off, Shiro ran into the room with his SG and made quick work two of them. They were unfortunate enough to dodge forward instead of back.

The last man standing got up and aimed his Calico M900 at Shiro. "Bad move," Shiro said. The player was confused until he saw Kureha running up behind Shiro. Taking aim at her, Shiro dashed toward him with the knife utility and stabbed him in the underneath his right armpit.

Shiro saw the man's health bar drop to the red before his victim shattered into a dozen shards. Twirling his knife, Shiro smirked as he holstered it. Seeing this, Kureha seemed confused and asked, "Hey... you're Shido Kokei, right?"

Turning around, Shiro looked at her with a puzzled look. "I'm right in front of you. Technically."

"You're the real Shido Kokei?" she asked.

"In the virtual flesh."

Kureha nodded her head, "Alright."

Shiro opened the door to the next room and found a teleporter. The two step in and were transported to the next area. Checking the map, Shiro found that they've skipped five floors. Both Kureha and Shiro turn the corner to find a familiar face.

"Itsuki!" Kureha shouted in surprise.

Disgruntled, Itsuki sighed, "Oh, it's you two..." Despite being friendly earlier, they're not at odds with one another. Itsuki alone is a danger, but he's not accompanied by a formally dressed young man in glasses.

Leaning to Shiro, Kureha whispered, "As soon as you see an opening, run for it." She saw Shiro reach for his pistol. Subtly pointing at the guy standing next to Itsuki, Kureha continued her murmur, "If that guy's with Itsuki, then he's gotta be pretty skilled too. We're totally outclassed here."

 _Damn..._ As much as Shiro didn't want to admit it, Kureha was right. _Were I in my actual account, this would be a different story!_ He clenched his fist in frustration.

Crossing his arms, Itsuki sized them up. "Hmm, planning on running for it?" he said, causing Kureha to give a small shriek.

 _It doesn't take much brain power to figure that out._

"I gotta admit that's the right choice here, but..." Itsuki's voice became lower and more threatening. "You do realize that we'll attack as soon as your backs are turned, right?"

So that's your game. Kill us when you want, not when we expect it.

He looked to Shiro, "I'm not sure about Kureha... but I'm sure you'll die in one hit, newbie."

 _Try me!_

"You'll shoot us even if we don't run!" Shiro retorted as he pulled out his M9. "I'm not willing to wait that long!"

In response, Itsuki's well-dressed comrade pulled out a Remington 870 and pointed it at Shiro. "Don't try it," he said in a commanding voice.

Itsuki shrugged, "I'd say your response is right, but this wouldn't be much of a fight." Taking out his own pistol, to Shiro's surprise, was also a M9-A1. "You guys just weren't paying attention. You could have at least laid a trap for us." He then released a deep sigh, "This is going to be so dull... I'd rather not waste the bullets."

Seizing the opportunity, Kureha tried to talk their way out of the situation. "Are you saying you'll let us go?"

"Of course not," Itsuki riposted. "This is GGO, and we're in the middle of a battle." Pondering for a moment, Itsuki said this thoughts out loud. "So, which would they rather die by? Me? Or one of the enemies?"

He then pointed to door at the end of the hall. "Truth be told, there's a rather troublesome enemy in this dungeon. They've probably laid a trap." Itsuki laughed, "We can't move until that thing's gone. Do you mind checking it out?" Noticing the suspicion in Shiro's eyes, Itsuki sweetened the deal, "Of course, I'll let you go if you can defeat it."

Kureha folded her arms, "What do you think? It's frustrating, but we can't beat Itsuki like this."

"On one hand, we have a chance of surviving against that boss. On the other, we have almost zero against Itsuki..." _I hate being so weak this early in the game!_ "I'll take my chances with the boss."

Smiling, Itsuki said, "A reasonable decision."

"...Alright. Fine. We'll fight that enemy for you." Kureha reloaded her Uzi, "And after we beat it..."

He nodded his head, "Yeah I know." Itsuki said, "I might lie, but I never break a promise. I won't point my gun at either of you. I'll only observe."

"How do we know you didn't just lie right now?" Shiro retorted.

Itsuki shrugged and looked to his comrade, "That's a risk you're just going to have to take."

Just as Kureha was about to open the door to the boss room, Shiro looked back at Itsuki. "Don't worry, I promise I won't shoot you in the back or anything. Why, if I did that, I wouldn't be able to enjoy watching you all fight, right?"

Taipan, Itsuki's well-dressed ally; interjected. "You might not realize this yet, but you have really good luck. Itsuki saved your hide on basically nothing but a whim."

"I'm gonna find some place to watch you two go at it," Itsuki said.

Finally, Kureha opened the door and there they saw the Accurachnid Droid. With its four legs, lazer eyes, and machine gun underbelly. The two of them alone would have a hard time dealing with it.

Kureha then surprised Shiro by revealing her secondary weapon. "A rocket launcher!" Shiro shouted.

She stuck her tongue out, "Yep, you run and I gun!"

"Oh, so that's our partnership? I'm the decoy while you do all the safe work, again!" Shiro lamented in disappointment, "It's grade school all over, again."

Slapping him on the back, Kureha barked, "Shut up and run!"

The Accurachnid Droid immediately fired at Shiro, who used his Acrobatic Dodge to evade the bullets flying at him. _Well, that was quickly used!_ He then sprinted to one side of the room. Shiro would either drop low or jump in the air to dodge the remaining rounds. When it brought out it's lazer eye, Shiro fired at its head with his pistol. It was then stunned for a moment.

Taking her time aiming, when Shiro stunned the droid, Kureha fired her rocket at the boss. That nearly took it down in one hit. The Accurachnid got up and turned it's sights on Kureha, who got aggro from her rocket. As it charged at her, Kureha screamed and covered her face.

Shiro dashed toward the boss and jumped on top of it. Using his SG, he used one hand to take aim, the other to hang on. Shiro then unloaded an entire mag into the boss's eye. It collapsed under its own weight as it died, forcing Shiro to roll off of it.

Kureha looked to Shiro lying on the ground. She rushed over to help him up. "Your health is almost in the red!"

 _Yeah, I know! I gotta hold back a little more with you around._ "Is it? I didn't realize that..."

They then see Itsuki and Taipan approach them. Itsuki clapped his hands, "It looks like we're squared away. I did make a promise, after all."

Looking ahead, Kureha noticed that there are two separate teleporters, one at opposing ends of the hall. "The road splits ahead. We'll take whatever route you don't go down."

"Hmm, well, y'see, the truth is, I have pretty much the worst luck. The last few times, the rare itesm were all taken by the Uncrowned Queen," Itsuki admitted. He then shrugged and gave a counter offer, "So you two better pick a road first. Don't worry. I'm not going to attack you from behind."

Obviously uncomfortable with this offer, Kureha accepted and looked to Shiro, "Very well, pick a road, Shiro."

 _Well... I'm right handed and maining a pistol._ He pointed left and started walking, Kureha close behind. _This way, if he attacks, I have a larger range of motion to fire back while fleeing._

The two were transported to another end of the dungeon. As they were talking, Kureha released a heavy sigh, "I'm glad that went well." She took point as they walked down the hall. "Itsuki is popular, but he's still a GGO player," Kureha said in excitement. "Not everyone's as nice as him, so be careful."

Shiro exaimed the area they were in. It appeared different from the rest of the dungeon. We must be near the surface. Which means we're near the end.

"Our goal is the rare item. We should avoid fighting anyone strong for now," Kureha said to Shiro, who completely ignored her. "Hey, are you listening?"

"Yep, rare item, fight the strong," Shiro responded.

Annoyed, Kureha placed her hands on her hips, "Don't fight the strong!"

 _Lame._

"Hey, look!" Kureha exclaimed as they found a computer console and what appeared to be a rundown teleporter. She excitedly hopped up the stairs, losing her balance a little as she reached the top. Then, Kureha got on the console, "We should be able to find a way forward if we fiddle with this device!"

Shiro walked onto the teleporter, "Hey, do you know what you're doing?"

"I got this!" Kureha said as he randomly picked a button to push.

 _She totally doesn't have this..._

Kureha then pushed a green button with her finger and activated the teleporter. "Kureh-" Shiro shouted as he was transported away from his friend.

There he was, in the middle of an unknown room. At the end of it was a man-sized pod of some sort. Shiro reloaded his weapons before approaching it. He checked his health bar and smiled. Regaining small bits and portions of his health at a time, Shiro was glad that the new patch didn't get rid of that feature. His health was almost back in the green.

The pod was placed up against a window. Looking out of it, Shiro saw that they were in some sort of tower, looming over SBC Glocken. All around the room were computers showing vital signs and lifeforms. He then began to inspect the pod itself.

It was against some sort of contraption. Almost like a life support system of some kind. Shiro made the mistake of touching the pod. It flashed!

"Player authentication... Starting master registration," a robotic voice boomed throughout the room. "User name: Shiro... Registration complete."

Confused and alarmed, Shiro stepped back and saw the pod begin to move. It opened and revealed a young man in a white and purple outfit. It opened its violet eyes and began to float between Shiro and the pod. A hazy blue light surrounded the violet eyed young man.

Bewildered at what was happening, Shiro barely registered the sound of someone taking aim at him. The young man dropped in the air and that's when Shiro saw the bullet line.

Using his Acrobatic Dodge, he fired in the bullet's direction with his pistol and, then slid to catch the yougn man.

"...Oh sorry, Kirito..." a voice came from where Shiro was firing.

Shiro then heard the sound of a generator emitting energy, almost like electricty flying through powerlines. _A photon sword!_ Shiro immediately aimed his gun in the noise's direction and found himself on the ground point his gun at the head of a black-coated swordsman. In this moment... he was protecting a young boy from two attackers.

"...Master..." came from the boy in white and purple.

 _Doesn't matter how good you are. A headshot is still a one-hit kill!_ Shiro grinned evilly as his assailant pointed the tip of his photon sword at his heart.

"You're good," the black swordsman said.

"You're dead," Shiro retorted, still grinning in pride.

Puzzled, the black swordsman replied, "With a flick of my wrist, this blade enters your heart."

"Dead or not, it takes a quarter of a second for me to pull this trigger. If I'm going to hell, you're coming with me!" Shiro said in a matter-of-fact tone.

There was a pause between the two of them. "Who are you...?" the black swordsman asked.

His fingers trembled in excitement and his red coat fluttered in the breeze for a moment. "Shiro... the Red Devil!"


	3. Red Devil

Chapter 2: Red Devil

Shiro fired his pistol. The Black Swordsman tilted his head and dodged the bullet. It managed to cut his cheek, but he flicked his wrist. The swordsman intended to end the fight then and there, but was caught off guard when Shiro had parried the blade.

"What?" Kirito asked in confusion.

Kicking the Black Swordsman away from him, Shiro somersaulted and aimed his gun at Kirito, while holding his combat knife in his off hand. "Oh, you didn't know? Must be new to GGO," Shiro taunted.

 _The Combat Knife, along with grenades and medpacks, is a Utility. A different category than a Skill, Weapon or Item. It's technically an item, but for one sole purpose. Back in earlier installments, the grenades were so big that people could shoot them out of the air. This effectively made the grenades near useless. A patch was later made, making all Utilities invulnerable. This included the Combat Knife._

 _Under most circumstances, this Utility would have been caught and patched to where it could be destroyed. But GGO is a game about guns. If you have to use the Combat Knife to attack, you're playing the game wrong. Only veteran players who've experimented with the Photon Sword have ever found a use for it._

Lunging forward, Kirito tried to impale Shiro. The Red Devil parried the blade and twirled his pistol, before pointing it at the Black Swordsman. He fired again and missed. _This guy is becoming a pain..._ Shiro thought as Kirito's reflexes were almost inhuman; to dodge a bullet flying at him, twice.

With incredible speed, Kirito sliced and slashed at Shiro. He used his knife block the first attack and then was forced to roll out of the way. Shiro brought up his pistol and began firing at Kirito's direction. The more rounds he shot, the closer Kirito would would. Backing up, Shiro brought up his knife to defend himself.

In a weapon-lock between Photon Sword and Combat Knife, Shiro lowered his gun and slammed his head against Kirito's. The Black Swordsman was staggered. Taking this opportunity to strike, Shiro fired his pistol at Kirito's knees. He fell to the ground but wasn't out of the fight.

Screaming in pain, Kirito got up through sheer might of will and charged at Shiro. _Take a look at this guy!_ At first, the Black Swordsman did a basic lunge, to which Shiro dodged. To his surprise, a pistol was fired.

Shiro's health bar dropped to red. _What in the hell!_ He then saw that Kirito was dual-wielding Photon Sword and a 1911 Smith and Wesson pistol. _Dirty. Very dirty._ He saw that Kirito wasn't alone. A young and attractive girl in white was approaching. _She came from the upper platform..._ Shiro smirked as he thought of a way to win this battle.

Out of nowhere, the Red Devil started laughing. "You've lost," Shiro stated.

"Not when it's two against one," Kirito affirmed with his Photon Swords aimed at Shiro.

Without retorting, Shiro threw his Combat Knife at Kirito. He blocked it with his Photon Sword, but he didn't expect Shiro to fire at his own pistol, disabling it. The Black Swordsman then charged at Shiro, who used his Acrobatic Dodge to evade Kirito's attack. Shiro the Red Devil, then dashed toward Asuna, the girl in white, and shot he several times.

Taken back, Kirito was utterly confused on how he missed. He then heard Asuna scream. "Asuna!" Kirito yelled as he turned to see Shiro unloading an entire clip into her.

 _Damn... she has min/maxed Vitality!_ He rolled out of the way of Kirito's near-decapitating slash. Shiro was forced to back up, toward the AI he had just activated. It didn't do a thing right now but observed the battle.

Taking precaution, Kirito whispered to Asuna. The girl in white then retreated to the upper foyer. It was just Kirito and Shiro, now. The Red Devil aimed his gun at Kirito. With his free-hand, Shiro brushed some of his white hair aside and gave a cheeky grin. However, the Black Swordsman showed no sign of emotion. As poker-faced as ever, Kirito aimed his own weapon at Shiro.

"You're good," Kirito said in lament.

"I know," Shiro replied with a devilish smile.

Tightening the grip on his weapon, Kirito shouted, "But you'll pay for what you did to Asuna."

Shiro shrugged, "You're acting like this is real life." He readied his Combat Knife, "But that's fine. I get like that, too."

Their fight continued. Without his gun, Kirito and Shiro were evenly matched. Kirito was simply too fast for Shiro to accurately hit him. And Kirito couldn't get past Shiro's defense with his Utility. As their battle continued, it was as though some sort of entity was driving these two to continue their onslaught; toward one another.

It was as if it were in their nature to try and kill one another. There was a wide and evil gin on Shiro's face as he fought Kirito. To him, it was like he found the one person who could actually give him what he's always wanted. For Kirito, this fight was unlike anything he's ever had before. A judgement of blood and rivalry fighting.

Even through the two of them are equal in all terms, there was something fundamentally different between them. One gained his power through his ties and connections to others. While the other one got his strength from wit, cleverness, and dirty fighting. It was the difference between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. If this fight were to end, something had to give.

But in the end, only one can remain standing. There was a flick in the wrist. In the air, someone had been disarmed. The pistol was then sliced in two. Before Shiro could properly defend himself, Kirito had impaled him with his Photon Sword.

He took a few steps back in shock. Shiro was breathing heavily as he looked at the steely gaze of Kirito. For a moment, it was as if time stood still. Shiro fell to his knees and barely managed to position himself in front of the AI boy. Weaken, his health in critical condition, and yet he still stood between Kirito and the AI. _This loot is mine!_

Kureha was running down the hall as fast as she could. Her pants becoming more and more shallow with each step. When finally entering the room, she was surprised at what she was seeing. A Black Swordsman aiming his sword at Shiro's throat. All the while, Shiro was defending a young boy on the ground.

She took out her SMG and took aim, "Hold it right there!" Kureha demanded.

"You better put down your gun," Asuna stated from behind Kureha. Despite being injured, from this position, it was very likely that Kureha would meet her end.

"When did you...?" Kureha questioned.

Finally, Kirito deactivated his Photon Sword. "Listen," he said. "We didn't come here to fight. Looks like we didn't make it in time, unfortunately." Kirito motioned towards the ArFA-sys AI on the ground.

"Didn't make it in time...?" Kureha asked, confused at the entire situation. "Make it in time for what?" She and Asuna both lowered their weapons.

In regret, Kirito sighed and explained, "It seems like that ArFA-sys picked your friend as its master.

Shiro and the AI took a few small glances at one another. Kureha approached the two of them and helped the AI stand. Shiro groaned as he stood up. "This person... is the rare item?" Kureha asked.

"Yeah," Kirito answered. "That's a player support AI-an ArFA-sys. They were implemented in the latest big update." The Black Swordsman moaned in disappointment. "They're so rare, there's almost no information on them. Aww man, I thought this tournament was my chance to get one."

Asuna giggled, "Too bad, Kirito. I guess it's back to grinding high-level mobs until one drops."

"Kirito!"? Kureha exclaimed, "As in, the guy who got to the top of GGO's rankings in a single month? As in, Kirito the Photon Swords wielder? THAT Kirito?"

 _I've never heard of him,_ Shiro thought. He then tried to think back to yesterday, when he was checking out the other top ranked players. _Oh wait... he was number nine. While I was four. He was below me. That's why I didn't pay him any mind._

Chuckling, Kirito introduced himself. "Heh, yeah that's me. And this is Asuna. In other games, she's known as the Lightning Flash or the Berserk Healer..."

Folding her arms, Asuna blushed, "Kirito! Come on! You don't need to tell them that."

"S-sorry 'bout that," Kirito stammered and then cleared his throat. "This is Asuna, my partner."

"Wow... I've seen your name tons of times in the rankings," Kureha said in aspiration. "To think I almost shot someone so famous..." She then turned to the AI boy, "ArFA-sys, I am your master!"

The boy replied in an emotionless voice, "I am the ArFA System Type-X A290-00. Master registration has already been completed." He turned his head to Shiro, "Shiro... You are my master."

 _Oh no..._ Shiro saw the look Kureha gave him. _It's elementary all over again..._

"Main system 50% functional. Please stand by."

Stepping back, Shiro laughed nervously, "Now look... I didn't do it on purpose!"

Grabbing him by the collar, Kureha violently shook Shiro. "You gotta be kidding me!"

Kirito nodded his head, "I knew it. I'm betting that even if we defeated you, it won't change anything."

"You seem to know a lot, Kirito," Asuna commented.

"Well, it's because the ArFA-sys called that player "master" back there," Kirito stated. He then took a good long look at Shiro. Despite his demeanor now, he remembered that devilish grin he had on his face a moment ago. "Plus... eh, no, it's nothing."

Asuna looked to Shiro as well. She couldn't help but give a lamenting look as she recalled how viciously he fought the two of them. This "Red Devil" certainly wasn't a pushover.

However, Kureha kept shaking him in a violent manner. "Hey! Why did you go ahead and register it!"? She finally released Shiro and pointed to the ArFA-sys. "What's yours is supposed to be mine!"

 _And you wonder why you're single..._ "I just said I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Stop making excuses!" Kureha stomped her foot on the ground in frustration. "Argh! I can't believe this!" She then jabbed her index finger on Shiro's chest. "Fine then! What's yours is mine! Meaning your ArFA-sys is mine, too!" Kureha then folded her arms, "So, yeah. I'll let you off this time."

Pouting, Kureha murmured, "...You did save me, after all." She recalled the boss battle in the last room.

"Kureha is my master's superior," ArFA-sys stated with a bow. "...Confirmed. It is nice to meet you."

Both Kirito and Asuna start to exit the room. They inform the three of them that there's little time left in the tournament. Their goal now impossible, they at the very least want to make it to first place. If they couldn't get the rare item, then the top prize will have to suffice.

Before they could leave, Kureha approached them and introduced herself, "U-uh, ahem! I'm Kureha!" Trying to show her confidence, Kureha stuttered on her words a little. "I'm going to be one of the top players in the game. And don't you forget it. We'll fight fair and square the next we meet! This is GGO, after all!"

"Ha, ha," Kirito laughed. "You've got guts, Kureha." He then glanced to Shiro, but his gaze quickly returned to Kureha. "Alright. If we meet again on the field, I'll go all-out against you." He motioned toward Shiro, "And you..."

Shiro showed no sign of fear, "Forget my name already?"

Nodding his head, Kirito spoke, "Shiro... Nice name. I want to ask you something. Why did you protect that ArFA-sys just now?"

"I did it without thinking," Shiro answered.

"I see... Guess that makes sense... Maybe it's just a spur of the moment kind of thing and all you can do is come up with an explanation after the fact." Kirito nodded his head, "Yeah, I can see us becoming friends. I hope we meet again."

 _Don't count on it._

"Later. You too, ArFA-sys. Bye-bye!" Asuna said with a wave.

"Main system 90% functional..." ArFA-sys stated in his monotone voice. "...100%... System checks... All clear. Start up complete." As if life itself gleamed in his eyes, the ArFA-sys perks up. "Master!" he said, "you can name me! Names are changeable, but if you pick anything weird, I'll explode!"

"Is that a joke?" Kureha asked.

 _Knowing how players are... I doubt Zaskar wanted to deal XxXdeckbutXxX as one of their hard worked AI units..._

"I'm guessing you come with a personality program? Because you sound different," Shiro said.

Nodding his head, ArFA-sys explained that a Type-X are given unique personalities. Along with that, they're superior androids, capable of performing many difficult tasks.

Kureha placed her hands on her hips, "Now, are you going to name it? It'll be with you wherever you go, after all."

 _Great... I think I'll name you after my parent's cat._ "Rei... I think that's a fine name."

"...Registration complete. I'm glad you are more sensible than you look, Master," Rei said in a monotone.

"Yeah, it's a good name," Kureha commented.

Reaching into his pocket, Rei handed Shiro two guns. One is a copy of his M9, the other was some different type of gun; that he had never seen before. "Since you're my first master, I'll give you a gift! The best weapon for you would be... this one! No takebacks!"

Inspecting the weapon, Shiro had no idea what he was holding in his hands. "Uh... thanks?"

Rei explained that it was an Unlimited Fiber Gun. "That's a little long, so you can call it the UFG."

"I've never seen a gun like that. Does it shoot out rays or something?" Kureha asked.

"It was left in the warehouse. Perfect for a master with zero experience, or creative thinking patterns." Rei nodded his head again, "I can't predict my master's future. I don't have enough data! So, I decided to give him an unknown weapon-but not an experimental one!"

Gasping in shock, Kureha shouted, "You're giving him an unimplemented weapon? That's rare even for a super-rare item! That's so awesome!"

"Can we get back to the part, where you explain what it is that I hold in my hands?" Shiro begrudgingly asked.

Rei then explained how the UFG worked. It is a special device that can transport someone to long distances in a hurry. When firing the UFG, you can instantly climb walls, fly across surfaces, and even take down a few enemies.

It wasn't long afterward that the tournament ended. The scores were calculated and it was announced that Kirito and Asuna were the victors. Kureha commented that the real winner had to be Shiro, for finding the rarest item in the game. They were then transported back to SBC Glocken. However, the entire time, Shiro wondered if it were Kirito who banned him.

The idea was possible. No human would have that speed and dexterity to dodge several rounds fired at him. To do that, you'd either need to spend an ungodly amount of time in VRMMOs or hack into your account to give you a permanent boost. To Shiro, one was more likely than the other.

Those same hacking techniques could be used to falsely red-flag an account to get them banned. The only thing Shiro lacked in his theory, was a motive. However, the possibility remained.

 _Did Kirito get me banned?_ Shiro pondered.


	4. The Devil's Friends

Chapter 3: The Devil's Friends

Upon exiting the dungeon, Kureha, Shiro, and Rei were met with a familiar, although unwelcomed face. Itsuki stood there, offering a friendly smile. Shiro folded his arms and stepped back while Kureha and Itsuki talked.

"Hey Kureha, I see you and your friend survived!" Itsuki said. "I was a little worried about what happened to you after we parted ways." He shook at head and shrugged, "Our route was just littered with traps. My companions lost all of their HP and I thought I was doomed."

Shiro chuckled, "Thanks to you, I had a fun time. Also got a rare item." He motioned toward Rei and gave a cheeky grin.

Flabbergasted, Itsuki started to inspect Rei for a moment. "Is this what you found after we parted ways?"

"Yes, indeed!" Rei responded, proud as ever.

Jumping back, Itsuki spoke in shock, "You're an ArFa-sys, aren't you!"

"Allow me to revise your statement," Rei retorted. "I am a Type-X, rare even among ArFA-sys Units!"

Lamenting at his bad luck, "...Jeez. Why is it whenever I drop bread, it always lands butter-side down?" Itsuki took a deep breath and smiled, again. "So Kureha, you're its master?"

"Nope," Shiro responded with a shake of his head.

"Well, a lot happened..." Kureha stammered in embarrassment. "By the time I got there, Shiro had already registered."

Nodding his head, Itsuki's attention turned to Shiro. "Oh, so the newbie's its master. Shiro, I wish I had your luck," he said with a warm smile.

 _What are you playing at?_ Shiro thought. "No, you really don't," he replied.

Suddenly, Kirito and Asuna intrude on their conversation. Offering a friendly wave, Kirito greeted them. "You're back," he said. "I knew we'd run into you if we waited here."

"We were wondering if you would like to join us for a party?" Asuna asked as she sent virtual invites to them, through the player interaction screen.

"It's just a small gathering with friends," Kirito explained as he placed his hand on his hip. "I'd like to ask you more about your ArFA-sys. What do you think?"

 _I think you're out of your mind. I just got this thing thirty minutes ago! What makes you think I know any more than you, right now?_

Taking a deep breath, Shiro shrugged, "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline. I got... a side quest to do. One involving ArFA-sys, over here."

Rei turned to Shiro, "But ther-" he was interrupted by Shiro slamming the palm of his hand on Rei's mouth.

"We should get going immediately. Alone," Shiro insisted as he pushed Rei out the door. He quickly followed.

Kureha shouted for Shiro to return, but to no affect. With awkward tension in the air, Kirito nervously chuckled and spoke to Itsuki. "Oh, you're that guy we fought before..."

"It was a true honor to be able to fight Kirito the Photon Sword wielder," Itsuki sounded impressed with how things turned out. "My friends got wiped out an I would've been too, if time hadn't run out." He offered his usual warm smile to Kirito and Asuna, "So, are you friends with Shiro?"

"Something like that," Kirito answered. "He's one devil of a player. I'd like to see if we could be, though."

Nodding his head, Itsuki placed his hand on his chin, thinking aloud. "I see," he murmured. "Shiro got an ArFA-sys and the attention of one of the top players... He's probably the luckiest person in the world, right now."

Extending the invitiation, Kirito asked, "Itsuki, would you like to join us, too?"

He shook his head, "I'm afraid I'll have to pass. I already have plans with those friends who accompanied me, today."

"Ah, then how about you, Kureha?" Kirito asked.

She laughed nervously, "Sure. Sounds like fun."

Shiro practically dragged Rei through the back alleys of Glocken. The dark corners of the only safe-zone in all of GGO were still dangerous. It is here that the information market designed for veteran players, is built. One misstep, one slip of the tongue, and you're a target for life. Despite the dangers, Shiro persisted as if he's been here before.

He slammed his fist on a metallic door, "Drago!" Shiro shouted, "Open the damn door!"

It cracked open a bit. The inside was dark and all you could see was a single red eye. "Who told you about me?"

Looking around, Shiro noticed a few shift in the shadows. "I know what happened to Yokoni. I'm willing to sell that information to you."

The eye shifted up and down, examining Shiro and Rei. BAM! The door slammed shut. There was this moment of silence before the sound of gears turning and wind whining from inside. When it finally opened, a short man in a brown cloak hastily forced the two of them inside.

Again, the door slammed shut. The cloacked man pushed the two of them, motioning for Shiro and Rei to walk through the warehouse. Nothing but dust, cobwebs, crates and, shelves were filling this building.

They climb up a set of stairs and were shoved into an office. The cloaked man slammed the door to the office and then proceed to sit in the comfortable looking chair, across from them.

"Master, are you okay?" Rei asked as he helped Shiro stand.

"Yeah thanks," Shiro responded. "Next time you do that, Drago, I'll shoot your kneecaps off."

Although the hood covered his face, the cloaked man clearly raised an eyebrow to that comment. "You say you know what happened to my best client. Explain."

Walking to the side of the room, Shiro grabbed a red book and shrugged as he flipped through the pages. "You could make a lot more money in this game, selling these artifacts." He closed the book and placed it back, picking up one with a green cover. "But no, you're a man of asthetics."

Drago, the cloaked man, remained silent as Shiro flipped through the pages of the book. "Your name isn't even Japanese. You chose an Italian translation of the word Dragon. A mythological creature of knowledge and power, in the West."

Without skipping a beat, Drago lunged from his seat toward Shiro, combat knife in hand. Shiro threw the book at him, but he dodged it and managed to place his knife at Shiro's throat. "White hair. Male. Red coat..." Drago saw the devilish grin on Shiro's face. "Overconfident."

Pressing the knife on Shiro's neck, "This is a private zone. I can kill you and steal that ArFA-sys AI, if I wanted." However, the Red Devil's smile never faded. "But before I do, I need you to talk."

"Better start asking questions then," Shiro retorted.

"There are other methods," Drago stated. "My last client was rough, cocky, but always had a plan. He wasn't trying to be the best, but he clearly had the talent. But he didn't make many friends. Why would he tell you anything?"

Shiro shrugged, "Maybe you should stand down and let me talk, like civilized gents." With a sly movement of his left hand, Shiro armed himself with his pistol motioned for Rei to do the same, with his right hand.

"Civility is overrated in GGO. You'll die often with that attitude," Drago stated, ignorant of the two's idea.

"Being generous was plan A. Here's plan B," Shiro fired his gun three times in Drago's stomach. Once released, thanks to shock, Rei opened fire on Drago's head.

Falling to his knees, Drago looked up at Shiro looming over him. He turned his head and saw Rei guarding the door, armed with his own gun. "I see... offer friendship with one hand while arming the other. Much like-"

"Yokoni?" Drago looked at Shiro in surprise, "I know. I'm him."

"What?" Drago asked, clearly astound by this revelation. He then laughed as he lied on the ground. "You never do things the easy way, do you?"

Shiro motioned for Rei to stand down. "It wouldn't be fun if I did." He then helped Drago stand up and it was as if the bonds between them shined throughout the room for the first time, in Rei's eyes.

Clapping his hand, Drago summoned two more chairs. The three of them sat down and talked. Even though it's been only three days, to them they spoke as if it's been a lifetime. Shiro recounted the events that lead to the banning of his previous account, Yokoni. Meanwhile, Drago informed Shiro that people have been assuming that Yokoni was a hacker and finally got caught.

"Even if you were to find the guy who black listed you, I doubt the admins would reinstate your account," Drago lamented.

"There has to be something!" Shiro shouted. "I didn't work my way up to have it taken away from me at my moment of victory!"

Drago shook his head, "I'm afraid it's impossible. The playerbase's opinion is more important than one top player's reputation. Everyone thinks you're a hacker. Even if you proved them wrong, that rumor would remain," he explained as he took a cup of tea out of his inventory and sipped it. "So, if Zaskar removed your account from the black list and allowed you to keep playing, that'd only look bad for that."

"So that's it?" Shiro asked. "I'm doomed to go through the annoying trials and tribulations all over again?"

"It's not all bad. You're a smurf, now. And, most importantly," Drago pointed to Rei, who sat quietly in his chair. "You got the rarest item in the game, right now. Everyone is pining for it!"

Shiro looked at Rei as if for the first time. "You can remake your stats, get your gear back, and climb the player rank ladder even faster than before," Drago informed. "However, you will never get Rei, here, ever again." He leaned back in his chair and put away his tea. "I think you're better off than before."

"But Rei... what can you do?" Shiro asked.

Startled at first, Rei answered in confidence, "Almost anything a player can. I level up as you do and can use any equipment in the game. That is, as long as you allocate my stats correctly to correspond with the weapon you wish me to have."

Standing up in excitement, Drago slapped Shiro on the back. "You have an ally that will do anything you want him to do, and can cover all of your weaknesses. Let's not forget that they'll be with you no matter what! You can't ask for a better comrade!"

"That is... almost unbelieveable," Shiro said, shocked at the reality of it all.

Drago recieved a message and smiled, "The best part is, you're already a famous player; because of Rei, over here." He showed a video of video game news network, featuring VRMMOs. They were talking about a new player that found the rarest item in GGOs latest event. "And without the bad reputation of Yokoni, you can use this to your benefit; to hurry along and speed up your progress, to reclaim your throne."

"This is all... a lot to take in," Shiro muttered.

"I know!" Drago replied. "It's a major shift in your percieved character, but you're a clever guy. Use it to your advantage." He laughed as he sat back down, "You're now the Red Devil. Convince people that you're more than what you seem! After all, the trickster that is the devil, was a charisimatic character. You'll be stuck as Shiro for the rest of GGO, hopefully. Don't let this opportunity go to waste."

Shiro stood up and nodded his head. "I think I can come up with something. Provided we keep our previous deal."

"Info and gear," Drago smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As Shiro left Drago's warehouse, he turned to Rei. "So, what now? Want to check out that party that Kirito invited us to?"

Excited, Rei quickly nodded his head. "This would be my very first party ever, Master! I wanna go! Let's go! Right now!"

"Alright then, but before that," Shiro went through his inventory and tossed a white and gold cloak on Rei. "That was my constalation prize in the event. It's better gear than what you're currently wearing."

Rei hurriedly equipt the armor. His face was now covered by the hood, but it didn't seem to aflick his ability to see. The two then travelled to Kirito's privately owned home.

Ringing the bell to Kirito's home, Shiro was surprised at how fast they responded. He lied, explaining that he finished the "quest" he was on and they travelled up an elevator to Kirito's place. Once inside, everyone gave cheers and welcomed the two of them.

Shiro saw Kureha befriending several female players, off in their own little corner. There was a large man talking to a hairy guy in red. Shiro told Rei to have fun. Rei went off to talk to a girl with pigtails, next to Kureha.

A girl with short cyan colored hair approached Shiro. "Hey, is it true that you dodged Asuna's bullets while fighting Kirito? I didn't think a beginner could pull off something like that..."

 _Sinon... ranked number thirteen on the player list. Not good..._ "It was luck... mostly."

"Hey, maybe you're actually, like, crazy skilled!" A girl with long purple hair interjected. Her name was Yuuki. "What's your favorite weapon? Can you use a Photon Sword?"

"I prefer handguns," Shiro said as he pulled out his UFG, "And this."

"Oh... What's this...?" Sinon asked as she stared at the weapon. "I've never seen this weapon before. Where'd you get it?"

Holstering his gear, Shiro folded his arms and proudly said, "It's an unimplemented item! Only the rarest of the rare. Gifted to me by Rei!"

"Wait," Sinon was astounished. "Can an ArFA-sys really give you something like that?"

Hearing his name, Rei jumped in to the conversation. "Yep. It's an ability a Type-X can only use once. I have lots of other abilities, though... I think..."

Yui, the short girl that hung around Asuna and Kirito questioned Rei. "You think? For an AI, you sure don't know a lot."

Kirito became curious and inspected the weapon, asking Shiro about its firepower or speciail abilities. Agil, the weapon's expert, quickly figured out that it's a movement enhancement item. "Something like this would change the tactics in GGO," Agil affirmed as he offered a price; to which, Shiro declined.

After Agil's rejection, Lisbeth, the girl with short pink hair; quickly berated him. She stated that the UFG was probably priceless and that Agil should be ashamed for trying to rip off the newbie.

Leafy was the girl with long blonde hair, tied in a pony tail. She spoke highly of Shiro's amazing luck, chalking it up to a miracle.

"You've always had good luck, haven't you?" Kureha commented toward Shiro.

Lisbeth and Silica then asked if Kureha was in a squadron. To which, Kureha replied that she's mainly a solo player. Further adding that she's only joined squadrons for hunts. Kureha would quickly abandon them, afterwards. Silica and Lisbeth asked if Kureha would add them to her friend's list.

It became clear that the females in GGO stuck together. There are, however, not too many; it would make sense to ban together. Despite the female populace increasing as of late, there still aren't too many. This was a political move, in Shiro's eyes.

 _Damn... indoctrinating Kureha. This is bad..._

"Most squadrons only have male members, and I refuse to be a mascot!" Kureha proudly proclaimed. "I want to be valued for my skills! Because of that, I want to make my way towards the top!"

Both Sinon and Lisbeth agreed and laughed with Kureha.

 _Why am I here, again?_

"Thanks guys," Kureha awkwardly said. "Erm... I've actually always wanted female player friends. So, I'm happy just getting to know you better..." She looked around nervously and smiled, "Wow, I don't know what to say." Kureha looked to Shiro, "Hmm, seems as though some of your luck rubbed off on me. Thanks, Shiro. Today was fun."

While the party was in full motion, Kirito discreetly invited Shiro outside, onto the balcony. They were high up in Glocken. You could see a majority of the city from this view. The crowded main street. The market. The alley. All of it was a testimony to Kirito's amazing skill and oversight on situations. However, Shiro trusted Kirito very little and decided to lean against the wall, away from the edge.

"Sorry for dragging you along to our little party," Kirito apologized. "It's a little noisy in there, isn't it?"

"Not really, but I'm not one for crowds," Shiro admitted with a shurg and a steel gaze.

Catching on to Shiro's attitude, Kirito tried to affirm Shiro that they're good people. "Some of them can be a bit abasive, but their hearts are in the right place." He offered a hand, "Let me introduce myself properly this time."

Shiro reluctantly accepted the handshake. "No need. I know who you are, Kirito, Photon Sword wielder."

"You seem like the kind of player to go at it solo," Kirito inferred. "You remind me of how I used to be. Zero friends." That remark felt like a wash pan landing on Shiro's head. "But I can tell, you're easier to get along with than how you seem."

 _I totally have friends! Just... not a lot..._

Kirito continued, "You know, when I asked you why you defended that ArFA-sys? I could sense a strange familiarity to you..."

 _Did... did we fight before? I can't remember..._

"I suppose I'm the type who likes to be efficient," he said, admitting what sounded like a flaw in his tone. "I usually think of things in a logical way. But there are time when my body moves before I have time to think. The logic tends to come afterward."

Shiro shrugged, "Where are you going with this?"

"I can easily see you doing something like that," Kirito confirmed with a nod of his head. "I think meeting that ArFA-sys unit was a huge deal for you." He then scratched his head and chuckled, "Well, this is just my thoughts. Sorry if I'm way off the mark."

"Eh, close enough," Shiro retorted.

Kirito laughed, "Well, that's good... You're really lucky, running into something so important on your first day."

Suddenly, a solemn look appeared on Kirito's face. He turned to face the city. To Shiro's confusion, he could feel the atmosphere change around the two of them. "There's one more thing I'd like to ask you," Kirito said.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"What do you think is the difference between VR and reality?"

 _That's a deep question. I never really thought about it._ "The real world sucks. VR only sucks if you suck."

Shaking his head, Kirito went on, "Some say that VR is just an imitation of reality. I don't think so. I mean, we're living right here. Right now. We have the power to go anywhere in this huge world." He turned to face Shiro, "Isn't that exciting?"

Silence fell upon the two of them. Shiro didn't know how to respond. He shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know what to tell ya. I'm the wrong guy to ask, honestly. The line between the two is so thin, but so obvious."

Kirito was surprised to hear that answer. "Well, maybe your answer will change. Until then, allow me to be the first to welcome you to virtual reality!"

 _Great. I'm making friends with people that will later become my enemies. I really am... the Red Devil,_ Shiro thought as he shook Kirito's hand.


	5. The Open Mouth of the City

Chapter 4: The Open Mouth of the City

Waking up in his bed, Shido saw that the outside world looked dark. He stared at the clock, hoping his vision would focus. After a moment, Shido gave up and put on his glasses. Being near sighted sucks. Shido saw that it was around seven-o'clock. Sighing, he got up and removed the AmuSphere. Without so much as changing clothes, Shido grabbed his keys from his desk and went to get dinner.

As he approached the nearest store, Shido found some quick-make ramen and some canned coffee. Shido nearly grabbed it when he noticed someone else going for the same drink. Stepping back, he allowed her to take the coffee. She smiled, "My, my, such a gentleman. You sure you don't need it? You look a little thin."

"I'll find something else. Don't worry about it," Shido replied.

The woman chuckled, "If you aren't careful, you might not be able to stand. You should really look out for yourself."

"I didn't know that my health was such a concern to strangers. Thanks," Shido replied before going for some soda in the nearby fridge.

After bringing his items to the counter, Shido saw some time-cards for GGO. The character on the promotional image had long black hair and carried a fifty-caliber-Desert-Eagle. _Should I really just accept this injustice?_ He took the card and looked at the back. There was another character with a red coat carrying a MAS FR F2. On the back there were also a few others, he couldn't tell if they were in a squadron or not, but that didn't matter as he smiled at the image.

"Will that be all, sir?" the cashier asked.

Shido looked up and nodded his head, paying through a code on his phone. As he left, the woman from before looked at the GGO time-card he had. She gave a soft smirk as she saw that Shido had left the image turned over, revealing the white-haired sniper and his companions.

"Going for coffee again this late at night, Ms. Midoriko?" the cashier scanned her items. "And a time-card for Gun Gale Online? I didn't know you played."

Shaking her head, Midoriko forced her smile. "Oh, I don't play. I rule."

The moon fell and the sun raised once again. Shido found himself awoken by the irritating vibration of his alarm. He looked at the time and saw that it was well pass noon. Groaning as he stood up from his desk, Shido closed the blinds. The last piece of light hitting the letters from his family, before becoming shrouded in the dim room.

He put on the AmuSphere and Shido was once again enveloped into a world so familiar.

Appearing in a teal blue room, Shido/Shiro is greeted by the sight of Rei. He still wore the white and gold cloak from yesterday. Only, his hood is down this time. Seeing the brown hair and cyan eyes were a first for Shiro. At first, Shiro saw Rei moving around as if he were an actual person. As soon as Rei caught sight of Shiro, he waved showing that Shiro is always his first priority.

"Welcome back, Master!" Rei excitingly said.

Scratching the back of his head, Shiro shrugged. "Cool thanks," he looked around and found no one else in his private zone. "ArFA-sys, what are your protocols?"

Confused, Rei answered. "To put it simply, I am an Artifical Financial... uhm... Adviser?" _You don't sound very confident in that._ There's so little information on the ArFA-sys units, that even though Shiro has one in his possession, he still doesn't know much more than the next player. "Er, in other words, an ArFA System Type X!"

If there was a dictionary description of what disappointment was supposed to look like, you'd find it on Shiro's face. "I know what you are! I need to know more."

Laughing nervously, Rei looked away and scratched his face. "...Well, uhm, anyway... I am a very intelligent AI with an impenetrable treasury!"

"Is that so? You'll be making tedious jobs a lot less annoying, then."

Raising his hand, Rei remained quiet until Shiro allowed him to speak. He then corrected Rei, stating that he didn't need to wait for permission to talk. "Uhm... it's just that I'm curious. Have you already completed the tutorial, Master?"

"Of course," Shiro answered without hesitation.

Rei brought up a screen and looked utterly flabbergasted. "It's just... my check-ups claim you haven't. Am I defective?"

Shiro shrugged, "No, you're not. This isn't my first account on GGO. So, I'm already well-aware of how most things are done."

"Master has another account?"

"Had," Shiro stated. "Now, let's go. There's some things we need to take care of. Preparations to make and whatnot."

The City of SBC Glocken is one of the few safe-zones in the entirety of GGO. It's the only area where Player Vs. Player (PvP) combat is disabled. Live Fire is still active, but you could shoot another person in the streets all day and do literally nothing to them. Each player also has a private zone, where they can essentially have a home-away-from-home. In Glocken, there are several areas to hang out, restore items, upgrade, and even get involved in the player-made-market. The possibilities are near endless, and are controlled by real-life individuals. The more virtual the reality gets, the more it stays the same; you can't change a system that works.

With Rei following Shiro around, it doesn't matter what they'll face. Every battle will always be multiple people against multiple people. Rei being an AI means that he can cover all of Shiro's weaknesses; making them a powerful unit in and of themselves. Rei made sound effects reflecting the possibilities.

As Shiro was about to leave, Rei stopped him and showed him a message. _Apparently you can access my mail. That's not creepy._ "Please never do that again, okay?"

Rei nodded before having Shiro read the message to himself.

 _From: Kureha_

 _Title: Meeting Soon!_

 _Nice job in the trournament! To properly thank you for coming along with me, I've decided to show you around the SBC Glocken! There are a lot of places I'd like to see since the laterest update. Oh, be sure to bring your ArFa-sys too. We might get a side quest along the way. I'll be on Center Street, so come find me when you get there._

Shiro sighed, I have to keep playing the fool. At least until I find my target. He then patted Rei on the back and the two left his humble abode.

Both Shiro and Rei met Kureha in the middle of SBC Glocken. When the developers called this area Central Street, they meant it. You can see the flow of traffic being here. Other players come and go as they please. It wouldn't be incorrect to call Central Street the beating heart of Glocken, and in turn the heart of Gun Gale Online.

"What's the big idea making me wait around like this!" Kureha shouted at the two of them. Placing her hands on her hips, the young girl made it very obvious at how upset she was with Shiro. "You've got a lot of nerve!"

Forcing a grin, anyone could tell that Shiro had something nasty to say in retort to her attitude. _Better not say it. Only bad things happen if I let my mouth run._ All he could do was smile and nod as Kureha berated the two of them. He looked to Rei and saw that he was confused but followed Shiro's lead. That was a relieving thought, if Rei had even the slightest semblance to his true character; everything could only blow up in his face.

"Now that you two are focused, let's hurry up and get going," Kureha calmed down almost immediately after yelling at them. "How about we look around this area first?"

Rei spoke up, "Master already knows about GGO's settings. I don't think this trip is necessary."

Shiro felt the wash pan hit his head as Rei said that, following his order from earlier to speak what's on their mind. _Yep. There it is. The dysfunctional backfire of my own creation, coming to bite me. Great. Just great._

Kureha lightly waved in front of her face. "What are you talking about Rei? Shiro is new. He doesn't know anything about GGO!"

 _Denial is a powerful ally._ He thought as he slouched forward in utter disbelief.

To summarize the lore of GGO, there were orbital space battles over the world. Cities were reduced to ruins and a lot of technology was lost in the warring conflicts. Ironically, the city of SBC Glocken, was built upon the remnants of a huge crashed space cruiser. The city itself being a big cluster of lost technology. Which is how they explain how players can buy weapons, equipment and other various needs to get started. Only the best items and weapons drop during quests or PvP, during hunts for other lost technologies.

"You can find strategic info on various internet forums. But you can only get the latest juicy info right here, in the city," Kureha informed.

As Kureha continued to show Shiro around, she began to point things out to him that he hadn't notice before. Rei also commented on the area, such as players having a constant flow going in and out of specific alleyways. Those areas would be places to get custom-made guns and ammo. The prices are player controlled and, many times are at exorbitant prices. However, for players with good connections, that roadblock stops being a problem. Those alleyways were also a place for players to set up bounty hunts. If you ever needed someone to have a bad time, the shadier the area; the better the results.

Beyond markets and putting marks on others, the SBC Glocken had official channels as well. These were the in-game stores. If you're not looking for anything special or want to try a new gun-style with little to no price; this is where players go. This is also the safest location to meet and trade information. The Administrators watch this area with extreme prejudice. It isn't uncommon to see a player receive a penalty for misconduct. The punishments are often short and to almost no consequence, but it's a sign that Zaskar is indeed there. Zaskar is real and, Zaskar is watching.

The three of them were suddenly ambushed by passing players that took notice of Rei. "Hey, what's that you got there?" the nosy player stopped them. "...An ArFA-sys? It's a rental, right? Those things are quite pricey, nooblet."

 _You're asking to get a bullet in the back, aren't you?_

Rei shook his head, "I am a Type-X, and I would never take my master's money."

Shiro slowly turned his head toward Rei as he felt another wash pan hit his head. _I may have to recant my "speak freely" order._ To his displeasure, Rei continued bantering with the two random players.

Taken back, one player excitedly inspects Rei. "What?"! he exclaimed. "This is the first time I've ever seen a Type-X! Those things really exist... Wow. Can I take a screenshot?"

"How about no," Shiro snapped back. He grabbed both Rei and Kureha's hands. "We should go. Like now!"

Before they could leave, the other player stepped in front of them. _You guys are just asking for a fight!_ "Whoa! A real Type-X! I thought these ultra-high-performance AIs were just a rumor! How are they?"!

"They're great! Now leave! Please!" Shiro riposted, tightening his grip.

Kureha saw Shiro's hand trembling. She let go of Shiro's hand and began jabbing her finger at their chest. "Why don't you mind your own business? You can do literally anything else in this game, but here you go and choose to annoy other players. You can clearly see that he's uncomfortable with your constant badgering, so why don't you just leave him alone?"

 _Wow. Was she always so abrasive?_ Taking a deep breath, Shiro placed his hand on Kureha's shoulder. She stopped and the two players just gave her a look; as though they've just witnessed a wild animal screaming at them.

"You should control your cheerleader," a player scoffed before turning to leave.

 **BANG!** A smoking handgun was in Shiro's hand as the two players turned in shock. One felt the back of his head and found the bullet. Shiro spoke in a low tone, grinding his teeth, "Next time, you won't have Glocken's protection."

The two of them scoff and walk away. _"To think that poor Type-X is stuck with such a short tempered group." "He'd make a lot of money by selling it. The AI would be better with a different master."_ _"Wow, been a while since someone got ballsy like that."_ _Those were only a handful of the comments I can imagine. To my surprise, people were indifferent._

"Shiro, why'd you do that?" Kureha asked.

Twirling his pistol, Shiro holstered it and shrugged. "Felt like it. That's all."

Kureha sighed, "Keep that up and you'll end up like Yokoni. The literal worst player in the game."

"Worst player?" Shiro could've sworn he was just stabbed through the chest right now.

"He made playing a living hell for everyone who went against him. He liked mocking them. Belittling their efforts." Kureha named all of Yokoni's methods of verbal assault. Each point only added another dagger in Shiro's torso. "And worst of all, he had the nerve to do all of that while cheating! At least have some skill if you're going to be that arrogant!"

 _Right... everyone thinks I'm a cheat. I'm a dirty player, but I'm not cheater._ Shiro sighed, "Shall we go?"

On their way to the official in-game shop, Kureha explained that Rei may need some gear for himself. Shiro was in agreement and had an idea on how to properly gear Rei. Both he and Kureha had gone over to some terminals. Yet, he was ambushed by the time he reached the NPC merchant.

A "merchant player" offered a number of rare items for a moderate price. _They must really think I'm stupid._ Shiro shook his head, but Rei was willing to hear out the used-car-salesman.

"Wow, you're really nice, mister!" Rei exclaimed.

The merchant laughed, "No problem at all. How much you got on you?"

 _Wow, try and hide it a little harder, why don't you?_ Shiro sighed and was about to speak; when a burly man in a trench coat stepped forward and, practically shoved the "merchant" away from Rei.

"Give it up," the burly man demanded. "With your half-ass understanding, you're gonna get conned," he said as he turned to Rei.

Offended, Rei stood his ground. "How rude! My analytical abilities are perfect! Mister Number Two."

 _I would like you to reevaluate this entire situation, and then have you tell me where the error in your statement begins._

"Mister? And why 'Number Two'? " the burly man questioned. Shiro then got a good look at his player name. Bazalt Joe. He's a leader of a squadron. Nothing of importance about him. "If you're that confident, then I can't stop you, but those guys have ripped off plenty of newbies before."

 _I can't believe I had enough faith in humanity to believe that people weren't dump enough to fall for that. I apologize to the universe for my flawed way of thinking. I'll correct that._

Bazalt Joe lectured Rei on how people use information against each other to compete. However, when a noob gets cheated out of their credits, the noob is left in a near impossible position to recover from. He then turned his attention back to the "merchant" and continued to berate him. Telling him that GGO is all about gun-lovers and having fun; and that players like this "merchant" should back off.

"Did something happen?" Kureha asked as she returned from her shopping.

"Nope, just someone trying to get me trade with them. You know, the trustworthy kind," you could feel the sarcasm from Shiro.

Rei shook his head, "We were almost tricked really badly. Mister Number Two here saved us."

 _What is this "we" you got in your story?_

Shaking his head, Bazalt Joe introduced himself. "You two seemed like good people. Couldn't help sticking my nose out."

"But it is strange... Anyone who loves guns can't be all bad!" Rei perked up with a laugh and then suddenly grew quiet. "...at least I think."

Joe also laughed, nodding his head toward Rei. "Oh! I like that! I couldn't agree more!"

 _Why does this feel like I'm watching a child get along with their favorite grandparent for the first time? This is almost scary._

"It's true. Anyone who loves guns can't be all bad. That player may be a greedy salesman, but he's a good guy at heart." Bazalt Joe nodded his head so confidently at that thought. His whole body shifted at his next thought, "Now sword wielders are the worst. Especially sword wielders who are always surrounded by women."

 _Now who does that describe? I think I know!_ "Isn't that specific? Let me guess, they're dressed in black, from head to toe?"

Joe scratched his head and exhaled, "Whoops, I think I've said too much. Y'know, there isn't much in this world as uncool as a man prattling on. Well, I'll see ya!" He then quickly took off, embarrassed at how fast Shiro could call-him-out on his prejudice.

While Kureha goes over certain builds with Rei, the two also comment on Bazalt Joe. He's a bit higher on the leaderboards, but not in the top ten. An unimportant detail to Shiro. While they were going on about what weapons and skills to obtain, Shiro looked out to the city.

It was odd. The last time he had seen it on this level was when he was a noob. Looking down on it from the top of the buildings for such a long time, he hadn't noticed how much has changed. Scamming used to take effort, now it's an everyday thing with minimal skill. People didn't bother you because, you could fight them in the streets. How long have I been ignorant of these changes?

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice-"Hey, long time no see." Itsuki said with a friendly wave. "Well, now that I think about it, it hasn't actually been that long."

"Itsuki," Shiro said in a friendly tone. "We met at the tournament, right?" _What's he doing here?_

Nodding his head, Itsuki smiled, "I'm glad you remembered me." He then leaned on the wall, "But no need to be so formal, you know. We're probably pretty close in age." Itsuki waved to passing players as he spoke. "I've always been quite friendly with everyone. However, there are so many girls who think I'm hitting on them..."

He saw the look on Shiro's face and then laughed, "Ha, ha. Just kidding... Well, half-kidding, at least." _Which one is it!_ "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something," Itsuki sent Shiro a video message. "I got ahold of video data from the tournament and had a look at some of the participants' battles."

The video of Shiro's battle with Kirito played. Shiro began to sweat. Seeing the fight between a Photon Sword and a Combat Knife is something that only veterans have ever done. Yet, at the end of it, all you can see is Shiro protecting Rei.

"It looked like you were about to croak, but you didn't. You moved to protect that ArFA-sys unit," Itsuki pointed out the odd movements between the two of them. "I know it's an incredibly rare item, but... you wouldn't have been able to get it if you'd been killed." The video message ended and Itsuki smiled. "Does that mean it was registering you as its master even then?"

 _I'm being played._ Shiro thought, but then he saw the look on Itsuki's face. _Or maybe not? Is he genuinely interested in some abstract reflex of mine?_

Itsuki brought his hand to his chin and began to speak his thoughts aloud. "Out of everyone in the tournament, you are the one I understand the least," he commented. "Why, I wonder...? I don't like sentimental stories, but I feel drawn to yours."

All he could do was shrug and answer honestly. "I don't really know. Kinda did it without thinking," Shiro said.

Surprised, Itsuki seemed even more confused. "So... you just moved on reflex? Without reason?" His eyes narrowed and then he shook head, "Excuse me. I should apologize first. I just really wanted to know." Itsuki offered his hand, "Thank you for answering without any lies or exaggerations. You're a good person."

Rei interrupted them, showing Shiro his new gun. Or rather, grenade launcher. "There you are, Master! Look! It's so shiny! Also, Kureha was looking for you."

"Oh, were you in the middle of something?" Itsuki asked. "Please excuse. Until we meet again." He turned away and left, but not before sending Shiro a friend request.


End file.
